The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson

Series: The Shades of London (bk. 3)

Genera(s): Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

Subjects: ghosts, spirits, death, secret societies, murder, boarding schools,

Setting: London, England

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, past tense: Rory

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 376 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover 

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Penguin: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Summary/ product description: “The thrilling third installment to the Edgar-nominated, bestselling series.

Rory and her friends are reeling from a series of sudden and tragic events. While racked with grief, Rory tries to determine if she acted in time to save a member of the squad. If she did, how do you find a ghost? Also, Rory’s classmate Charlotte has been kidnapped by Jane and her nefarious organization. Evidence is uncovered of a forty-year-old cult, ten missing teenagers, and a likely mass murder. Everything indicates that Charlotte’s in danger, and it seems that something much bigger and much more terrible is coming.

Time is running out as Rory fights to find her friends and the ghost squad struggles to stop Jane from unleashing her spectral nightmare on the entire city. In the process, they'll discover the existence of an organization that underpins London itself—and Rory will learn that someone she trusts has been keeping a tremendous secret.”

My Review:  The Shadow Cabinet is surprisingly not the final book of a trilogy, but the third book of the Shades of London series. The ending didn’t wrap up neatly, and I checked on Goodreads and there is the fourth book. I waited two year for the book to come out. Two years of not know Stephen fate. I hate these long gaps between books. I do enjoy the characters and narration.

Rory is hilarious as ever. She’s very quirky and funny. Some of the things she thinks and says are a little strange. She’s always going off on tangents about her life in New Orleans and how crazy it was even though it’s crazier now that she’s in London and can see ghosts. Rory does seem distressed by what happened to Stephan and I felt like without him throughout the book, the story was lacking. Still, I enjoyed it enough to give it four stars.

We get to know more about Thorpe. Also we learn about Jane Quaint’s past and the twins she used to know. They had their own little death cult of sorts. The first chapter pretty much tells us what happened. The story has moved away from the Ripper stuff and murder mystery and into the magic and secrets of death and the termini.

For some odd reason I thought Maureen Johnson herself was British (I think I confused her with Sarah Reese Breenen), but maybe that’s because she’s done such a good job writing about London in this book. I’ve never been a fan of British stuff like most other American (I always though Australia sounded better), but this series makes me want to visit London. It’s so atmospheric and creepy-fun.

So, since book four is probably not going to come out for another two years (1 year if we’re lucky) you’re going to need more books to pass the time. For those of you who have not read this series, I’d recommend it if you like YA books about ghosts/ghost hunters or boarding schools.

Cover Art Review: I love the color and the paper used for the dust jacket. It’s pearly.

Feral Pride by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Series: Feral (bk. 3) Spin-Off to Tantalize series

Genera(s): Paranormal Romance/Semi-Dystopian

Subjects: shape-shifters, demons, supernatural

Setting: Texas, near and in Austin

POV/Tense: 1st person POV present tense. Rotating between Aimee, Clyde, Kayla and Yoshi.

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 285 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Summary/ product description: “The explosive finale to the Feral series by New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith.

Anti-shifter sentiment is at an all-time high when Kayla’s transformation to werecat is captured on video and uploaded for the world to see. Suddenly she becomes a symbol of the werebeast threat and—along with fellow cat Yoshi, lion-possum Clyde, and human Aimee—a hunted fugitive. Meanwhile, a self-proclaimed weresnake has kidnapped the governor of Texas and hit the airwaves with a message of war. In retaliation, werepeople are targeted by law enforcement, threatened with a shift-suppressing vaccine, terrorized by corporate conspiracy, and enslaved by a top-secret, intelligent Cryptid species. Can Clyde rally his inner lion king to lead his friends—new and old—into battle against ruthless, media-savvy foes? A rousing blend of suspense, paranormal romance, humor, and high action.”

My Review:  As the final book of the Feral series, Feral Pride brings the series to an epic conclusion. The book switched between four character’s perspectives this time: Clyde, Aimee, Yoshi and Kayla. It picks up from right after the events of Feral Curse. As a fan of the Tantalize series, I loved that the author wrote a three-book spin-off series based around other characters.

I also loved that there books focus on the shifter and the social prejudices on whether they are considered human since they can become animals. The main characters (except Aimee, whose and normal human) are all some type a were-cat. Clyde is actually were-lion and were-possum and Aimee calls him a Lossum. So many books are about werewolves and vampires, that’s it’s cool to see different types of creatures or beings. There’s also were-deer, foxes, vultures, otters, dolphins, orcas, rabbits, tigers, bears, and so many more.

The book starts out with all four of the main characters, plus Kayla’s friend Jess are driving in Jess’s father police cruiser, trying to get to Oklahoma, but the never get out the state. The governor of Texas has been taken hostage by a supposed snake-shifter named Seth. Reptile shifters don’t exist, according to what they’ve heard from Kieran (Quince’s boyfriend and werewolf). They go back to Austin and are being pursued by agents of the FHPU. The snow people/yetis from the previous book are likely behind what’s going on and Clyde and friends have to find a way to stop them.

We get to meet Clyde’s biological dad. Noelle returns and she even dressed up as an X-men character. Aimee’s father is also in the book, and possibly (unknowingly) working for the yetis. So much happens in this 285 page book. It’s so full of excitement and I hate that it’s over. I think that this series together could make one amazing TV show. There’s something very episodic and the world building is detailed. I love how it’s like an alternate universe in which shifter have been know to exist since the mid-1800s.

I really hope that Cynthia can write another amazing paranormal or maybe sci-fi series because her books are humorous. I love how she creates banter between the characters. The friendship are so well written that the character feel like my friends. I recommend this series if you enjoyed Tantalize, Eternal, Blesses and Diabolical. Also if you like the Curse Workers series by Holly Black. Or the Other series, Night World series, and anything with werewolves, shape-shifters and other paranormal beings.

Cover Art Review: Is that the Austin skyline? Probably. There’s a lion, which Clyde is able to turn into.

Unchanged by Jessica Brody

Series: Unremembered (bk. 3)

Genera(s): Dystopian Sci-fi/ Romance

Subjects: times-travel, futuristic, genetic engineering, identity, love, memory, scientists, experiments

Setting: The year 2117, in Nevada, California and various states

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, present tense: Sera

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 417 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover 

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Macmillan: Farrar Straus Garoux

Summary/ product description: “So many secrets are buried within these compound walls.

I used to be one of those secrets.

After returning to the Diotech compound and undergoing an experimental new memory alteration, Seraphina is now a loyal, obedient servant to Dr. Alixter and the powerful company that created her. Happy and in love with Kaelen, another scientifically-enhanced human designed to be her perfect match, Sera’s history with a boy named Zen is just a distant memory from a rebellious past she longs to forget.

But as Sera and Kaelen embark on a nationwide tour to promote Diotech’s new product line—a collection of controversial genetic modifications available to the public—Sera’s mind starts to rebel. She can’t stop the memories of Zen from creeping back in.

As more secrets are revealed, more enemies are uncovered, and the reality of a Diotech-controlled world grows closer every day, Sera will have to choose where her true loyalties lie, but it’s a choice that may cost her everything she’s ever loved.”

My Review:  What an astoundingly epic finale. It was pretty awesome even with the few disappointments. I love sci-fi with some mystery and lots of twists. I also like it when a character has to overcome brainwashing or a secret organization. What’s really great about this book is that we get to see the time period that Sera and Zen are from.

2117 is a world with hoverpods and other things that hover with magnets, synthetic meat, genetic modification and nanotechnology. Gas power is obsolete, as well as today’s standard medical equipment since they have nanoscanners. 2117 is not a post-apocalyptic world or a world with an oppressive government. It’s not truly a dystopia, but there is Diotech. And Diotech want to control people and they are using Sera and Kaelen to launch a line of products that can make people better, yet control them. Dr. Maxxer has told Sera this. And Sera doesn’t believe it.

Unchanged starts off with Sera now thinking that Diotech is good and that she loves Kaelen and she’s got all her memories back. She feels guilt forever betraying the objective and she think that Zen never loved her. We know that’s not true. Zen definitely loved her and Sera’s just being brainwashed with some sort of memory coding or something. It just takes her time to see the light again. There’s just not enough Zen in this book. I read the novella before this and one was from Zen’s POV. I suggest reading the novella before this final book. Anyway, Zen doesn’t come back into the picture till more that halfway through the book. I’m not a big Kaelen fan to say the least.

The things that Sera finds out about Diotech and herself make this book awesome, but the ending resolution was not what I had hoped for. I’m still giving the book five stars because I’m a loyal fan and loved the previous books. The plotting that this series took must have been a massive undertaking and I think the author pulled it off even if there were a few bumps in the road.

If you haven’t read Unremembered, then you really should. It’s becoming on of my favorite sci-fi series. You should read it if you like any of the following: Altered by Jennifer Rush, Renegade by J.A. Souders, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, False Memory by Dan Krokos, Crewel by Gennifer Albin, Maximum Ride by James Patterson.

Cover Art Review: The girl in the cover looks more like Sera. I love the blurry effect and the title being sharp and clear.